A plane crashed into a hangar at the Bentonville Municipal Airport killing the pilot Wednesday morning, according to Gene Page with the Bentonville Police Department.

Witnesses said the plane was preparing to take off when it hit the hangar, according to Page.

FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said the plane crashed into a hangar while attempting to take off shortly after 9:30 a.m. Initial reports say the pilot may have lifted the nose of the aircraft early to avoid another plane that was on the runway.

A preliminary investigation by Bentonville Police identified the pilot was identified as Rex L. Grimsley, 70, of Bentonville, according to Chief Jon Simpson.

The aircraft was a 1983 Beechcraft Bonanza, according to police. It could carry 6 passengers, and was a single-engine, fixed-range aircraft.

Witness Brandon Nolker was in the hangar next to the one that was hit. He told 40/29 News "it sounded like a bomb went off."

"It's just tragic, it's a sad event," Nolker said.

No other aircraft or persons on the ground were injured, Page said. The airport will remain closed for the immediate future.

The FAA is on the way to the airport to take over the investigation.

The Bentonville Municipal Airport is northeast of the larger Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

The Bentonville Municipal Airport houses 41 single engine and two multiple engine aircraft, according to the airport's website. The airport is 140 acres large.

There are a total of 8 hangars, at the airport, including two owned by the City of Bentonville.